We might think faster crawling means brighter futures. Actually, when we treat milestones like races, we stress ourselves, our babies — and start a cycle of comparison that never ends.

Every aisle, website, and Instagram ad insists we must have the newest swing, bassinet, or stroller designed by NASA engineers. The irony? Our baby usually prefers our arms.

The tween years are a paradox. One minute they’re reciting climate change statistics like mini-activists, the next they’re crying because their favorite hoodie is in the wash. Parents get whiplash trying to figure out: Do I give them independence? Or do I remind them to brush their teeth for the hundredth time?